You think these guys can show something with 6 out left? A little competitive spirit?

ron

September 14, 2008 at 7:03 pm

At least they’re making the pitcher work this inning.

ron

September 14, 2008 at 7:16 pm

Out of gas.

ron

September 14, 2008 at 7:31 pm

Keep it going.

ron

September 14, 2008 at 7:34 pm

Leave it up to Gary to put us out of our misery.

Dave BW

September 14, 2008 at 7:43 pm

After this weekend’s endless postponements and cancellations, I’ve unintentionally already fallen into the mindset of being in the offseason. Minor technicality at most, anyway, I suppose.

ron

September 14, 2008 at 8:28 pm

In the hole already.

McB

September 14, 2008 at 8:52 pm

Dave BW -

I thought the season was over??? LOL

cib

September 14, 2008 at 10:12 pm

I’ve got friends who are Sox fans, so at this point I am just as happy to see them win so my friends can at least get some joy out of the season. What the heck. Time for Mad Men.

Dave BW

September 14, 2008 at 10:43 pm

McB — I’m as shocked as you are.

At least I was able to see Zambrano throw a no-hitter tonight. It was awesome.

Dave BW

September 14, 2008 at 10:57 pm

THAMES GRAND SLAM! Game tied as the Sox blow a seven to nothing lead.

ron

September 14, 2008 at 11:13 pm

Farnsie will hold em’.

Dave BW

September 14, 2008 at 11:18 pm

lol Dewayne Wise (who?) hits a grand slam for the Sox. That was a great ten minute lead we had.

ron

September 14, 2008 at 11:18 pm

Ahem, to a grand slam. You gotta luv Farnsie.

ron

September 14, 2008 at 11:20 pm

Wow ,2 grand slams in the same inning. Isn’t that grand.

stephen

September 14, 2008 at 11:22 pm

Farnsworth repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce

ron

September 14, 2008 at 11:22 pm

Dave BW, How come you didn’t capitalize Wise’s name in the name of good sportsmanship?

ron

September 15, 2008 at 12:09 am

Someone on this site very early in the season, if not at the beginning, predicted the Tigers no better than .500 or worse at season’s end .They win Prognosticator of the Year Award. I thought they would have had 100 wins by now.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 1:33 am

My take on Game 1: Verlander pitched well enough to win for 7 2/3 innings. It’s all forgotten now, but there’s been a lot of that in 2008. When Larish plays 3B, other teams bunt and reach. Have you noticed that? Dusty Ryan guns down 2, and Verlander picks off OC at 3B with 1 out – that’s very nice. Ordonez puts an exclamation point on why he shouldn’t be traded. Sheffield was utter crap. The play-by-play doesn’t tell you if he really tried or whether he just doesn’t want to be a Tiger any more. I’m guessing he really tried. But he was still crap. When 3 guns – in this case Granderson-Cabrera-Sheffield – combine to reach base nada for 12 with 4 strikeouts, your chances of winning hover around 0%. When it happens with regularity, chances of a winning season are about the same.

My take on Game 2: Well, Kenny was “OK Kenny” for a while. A short while. Dolsi didn’t walk anyone! Seay getting the loss, well, hmmm. So Hessman’s unofficial error sets up the slam. This is supposed to be Glove Man here. Can’t he have a game with a HR where something else doesn’t kind of offset it? But Farnsworth didn’t have to serve up the slam for all of that. Who the hell is DeWayne Wise? At least walk him or hit him so Dye kills you with the slam instead. Jeez. I don’t like Kyle Farnsworth. I’ll start liking him when he throws a complete game no-hitter. Why is he here again? Anyway… at this point a slam by Marcus – first pitch! – is as good as or better than a Detroit Tigers win. He’s way ahead of Sheffield in RBI again now, and that’s the way it should be. Speaking of Sheffield, I’m so glad he’s the DH rather than Guillen, pray that this marvelous state of affairs continues at least through 2009, and I’m sore afraid the lost game may cost him more opportunities to hit #500 this season. Some rally in the 8th, though. something to remember, even in a losing cause. Coming back from 5 runs down, and 7 in 2 innings, has not been a common feat for your 2008 Tigers.

Though they did manage to score 39% of DH runs in 32% of DH PA, Sheff’s “platoon partners” at DH only managed a shockingly low 30% of the HR and RBI, while posting an abysmal BA/OBP/SLG/OPS. Clearly, Gary Sheffield is a boon to the team, especially since it can be scientifically proven that he’s only gone hitless in games where he was not healthy. In games where he has been healthy, in good humor, and totally into the game, his OPS is a whopping 1.796. In 13 PA.

ron

September 15, 2008 at 3:35 am

Now they have to play almost .800 to reach .500. Kind of like the 119 loss team that had to win in the end to avoid tying the futility record. Maybe playing .500 ball doesn’t even mean that much to this team at this point in the season. As Smoking Loon says, it’s getting beyond mediocre.

ron

September 15, 2008 at 8:02 am

The Red Wings are going to make the Blackhawks pay for this. I guess we’re officially eliminated?

ron

September 15, 2008 at 8:11 am

Oh man, we still have 14 games left. I thought we had 11 more. There’s hope. Go Tigers.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 9:46 am

That’s right, Ron. Keep the faith. Me, I’m on ThamesWatch, counting down to #30, or at least #26. Magglio can still take the batting title. Willis and Garcia are going to start. Carlos Guillen might hit his 11th HR. Yup, there’s still…

I forgot what I was going to say. When do pitchers and catchers report?

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 10:56 am

The Tigers have played 74 games against .500 or better (at the time) teams, exactly half their games. They’ve gone 30-44. Interestingly (or not), the Twins have only played 54 games (22-32) against .500+ teams, and the White Sox only 62 (27-35). Only 4 teams in the AL have winning records against .500+ opponents, and 2 of them aren’t going to the playoffs.

Of course, all this is influenced by a) interleague play and b) the divison a team is in. The poor Orioles have had to play 62% of their games against .500+ teams.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 11:01 am

“Someone on this site very early in the season, if not at the beginning, predicted the Tigers no better than .500 or worse at season’s end”

I remember a lot of doom and gloom prophesizing after the lousy start, but I don’t think much if any qualifies as true prognostication.

I’m just trying to make Bilfer’s top 10. I had a slow start and will be happy to come in right behind you, Dallas Chris, and Dave DW. I wish the Tigers had as much fight as you do SL.

Vince in MN

September 15, 2008 at 2:36 pm

Smokin’

What exactly is “true prognostication”?

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 2:58 pm

“What exactly is “true prognostication”?”

True Prognostication: Predictions made by Smoking Loon under his various pseudonyms.

No, Vince, what I meant was that as far as predictions go, there are comments borne of despair over recent events, and then there are more sober and analytical comments. What I recall from very early this season is mostly the former. I could be wrong.

My own predictions have never been either sober or desperate. Just wild guesses that I either hope or fear might turn out to be correct.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 3:00 pm

Don’t sell yourself short there, Ron. In terms of game threads appeared in percentage (GTA%), you’re way up on the leaderboard.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 3:15 pm

That snorg tees gal is a real cutie pie. Evereyone clicking on that banner is the only reason I can think of for the low volume of comments.

Now is the time for all of us to get together and either rebuild or retool or refurbish or repeat the Tigers for 2009. The plan must be in place before the season ends. Stand up and be counted, ye lurkers and slackers.

Chris in Dallas

September 15, 2008 at 3:34 pm

I hope Dontrelle Willis doesn’t get creamed tonight.

Dave BW

September 15, 2008 at 3:37 pm

“That snorg tees gal is a real cutie pie”

And so happy!

“My own predictions have never been either sober or desperate. Just wild guesses that I either hope or fear might turn out to be correct.”

I wrote a little blurb back in March in which I soberly made my predictions for the season, and I forecast 85 wins — which I based on the likelihood of a streaky offense and bad relief pitching. Who would have guessed I was being overly generous? The complete collapse of our starters totally blindsided me.

Chris in Dallas

September 15, 2008 at 3:37 pm

W2W4: Curtis Granderson needs one more HR to get to 20. Maggs is in the hunt for a batting title. Fatty could win the HR crown. There’s got to be a way to get Verlander 4 more starts so he cana get 20 losses, too.

Chris in Dallas

September 15, 2008 at 3:39 pm

Trivia question: Who was the last AL player to win back-to-back batting titles? (hint: It was Nomar Garciaparra)

Dave BW

September 15, 2008 at 3:40 pm

Let’s just go all out and start Verlander every single game until he hits 25 losses.

Chris in Dallas

September 15, 2008 at 3:44 pm

I’m happy for Justin that he is no longer the big league MAP (Most Abused Pitcher). That’s now Tim Lincecum’s honor after his 138 pitch effort the other night.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 4:15 pm

I was going to say something about Verlander and 20 losses as a milestone, but it sounded too cynical.

I arrived at 85-77, too, albeit later, beginning of August, I think. I didn’t see a losing season coming until, well, yesterday.

Wait, Chris, let me guess. Was it Nomar Garciaparra?

Yeah, Ms. snorg tees does look happy. Cute and happy is a good combo. Now she’s wearing a T-shirt that says “With a shirt like this, who needs pants?” That’s got to stop. I… well, it’s just got to stop.

Chris in Dallas

September 15, 2008 at 4:47 pm

“With a shirt like this, who needs pants?” That’s got to stop. I… well, it’s just got to stop.

I find my analysis of the Detroit Tigers to be somewhat aloof and unfocused when that ad is at the top of the site. For some reason.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 5:13 pm

I know. For a moment she was gone and I could concentrate. Now she’s back. But I’m down here at the bottom of the page, so I’m safe for a while.

Tigers are 67-85 under Leyland for August/September. 5 of 6 of these months were/are rather disastrous. Not sure what that says. No new info, really – it’s been brought up before. Just another cheery update.

Granderson hits #3 in 2009, right? Can I beat that dead horse some more?

ron

September 15, 2008 at 5:14 pm

What Snorg? By the way Farnsworth spelled backwards is throws nraf which means crap in Inuet.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 5:16 pm

Snorg’s our gal, Ron. Now she’s been bumped by some tequila, and I’m compulsively refreshing the page.

Smoking Loon

September 15, 2008 at 5:18 pm

Too bad Farnsworth – the pinstriped ham sandwich – can’t throw backwards and take back a few pitches.

Coleman

September 15, 2008 at 9:13 pm

You really don’t like that girl. It’s just that you’re looking at her while mouthing the word “snorg” which completes a neural connection which produces a sensation similar to pleasure. Millions of dollars of research have gone into this, you can’t really fight it.

Coleman

September 15, 2008 at 9:20 pm

Whoa hold on waitaminute– there’s a Billfers top ten? And nobody told me this? And I’m laying around ingesting mountains of ham when I could have been nailing down a Top Ten spot??

This season is such a disaster.

Coleman

September 15, 2008 at 9:22 pm

Farnsworth is a Fraud–a damn frozen ham

ron

September 16, 2008 at 2:35 am

Coleman, yes. He only counts ABs, not Hits. You can fill this site with a bunch of inane comments and crap, in general, and lots of obvious observations and you do not even have to talk baseball. So put down that side of pig and get to it. Smoking Loon has already screwed up because he changed his name half way through the season and won’t get full credit for his thoughtless,er, thoughtful entries. Sure love to see your name in the Top Ten.

ron

September 16, 2008 at 2:54 am

Oh yeh, SL got that Gold Star a while back kissing up to the boss, so I don’t think he really cares about the Top Ten. I think it was under his old name, uh, uh, Tommy from Indiana or something like that and anyway he had to change his moniker because he was getting so much flak from people, you know, about the Gold Star and everything.

Coleman

September 16, 2008 at 2:57 am

Well, that’s good news actually, because if it were a OPS kinda thing–based on content and not just quantity–well, let’s just say I don’t have the confidence to face down The Admiral Julius von Thursday on those terms…

Coleman

September 16, 2008 at 3:00 am

Actually there is a rumor now that he is such a star that soon he will be going by yet another moniker (a nice work, moniker, what?), Puff Loony

ron

September 16, 2008 at 8:56 am

All right, Coleman, Puff Loony it is.

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